Wedoany.com News, recently, energy ministers from nine countries surrounding the North Sea jointly signed the "Hamburg Declaration" at the North Sea Summit held in Hamburg, Germany. They agreed to strengthen cross-border cooperation, with the goal of developing up to 100 GW of cross-border offshore wind capacity in the North Sea region by 2050 and promoting the development of offshore renewable hydrogen to build a more integrated regional energy system.

The signatory countries include Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, and the United Kingdom, with Iceland joining as an observer. The Declaration reaffirms the ambitious goal of achieving a total of 300 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2050, building upon earlier declarations such as the Esbjerg Declaration and the Ostend Declaration. The new agreement places greater emphasis on cross-border interconnection projects, rather than solely focusing on individual national developments, aiming to promote cross-border electricity flows, enhance supply security, and reduce overall system costs. As a first step, the countries will advance cooperation projects already planned by transmission system operators and developers for the 2030s, with a total capacity of up to 20 GW. Furthermore, the ministers agreed to strengthen coordination in offshore grid planning for the North Sea region and plan to develop an "Offshore Financing Framework" to support cross-border projects, improve financing access, and ensure fair sharing of costs and benefits. The Declaration also covers accelerating project approvals, strengthening infrastructure protection, supporting supply chains and workforce development, as well as enhancing cooperation in research, development, demonstration, and production of offshore renewable hydrogen to help decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors and enhance energy security.